Out of the Past — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Out of the Past. 135 what I know.) Everywhere—France has been betrayed. And when the people know—God help us. The people— the poor, common people, have slaved for the Republic, have paid their endless taxes for the support of their idol, the army, and for the Government incidentally. ‘They pay their tax; they leave the rest to their betters. The deluded creatures do not know that the safety of the state is not founded on their money, but upon the share they take in public affairs. But they have no understanding of public affairs. They are babes—haven’t I seen it? They hear things are not as they should be, but they can- not right them. They stand stupidly by; leave it in the hand of the bureaucracy until the time for the barricades comes. ‘The barricades—ah—those they understand. They can give up their lives in a blind revolution—kill, murder, wade through to another régime—count their dead—go back to their ploughs, their furnaces—look up to the new régime as if it were a god—stand by and wait until the unchecked powers wielding the new machinery become again foul, and again their idol must be burned in the furnace—execrated of the people.” “Has this to do with Dreyfus?” “As an excuse—only an excuse—a wicked one. But what would you? The death of one man, or a revolu- tion?” GOmicsooks (©)